GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — A March Madness comparatively bereft of drama has come down to UConn and Purdue.
The Huskies are trying to become the first repeat national champion since Florida in 2006-07. The Boilermakers are in the Final Four for the first time since 1980 and are vying to erase last year’s first round exit as a No. 1 seed.
A few keys for Monday night’s title game:
Defending the paint
Purdue big man Zach Edey has been an unstoppable force for two seasons, becoming the first repeat AP national player of the year since Virginia’s Ralph Sampson won three straight in the early 1980s.
Edey’s size — 7-foot-4, 300 pounds — usually forces teams to double him in the post. He has exceptional footwork and vision, so the double teams are often ineffective.
Edey is the first player in NCAA Tournament history to have six straight games of 20 points and 10 rebounds.
UConn may not have to double Edey nearly as much. Not with 7-2, 280-pound Donovan Clingan in the middle.
High scoring
UConn has outscored opponents by a combined 125 points in the NCAA Tournament and Purdue is plus-98 in its five games. The combined 223 points is the highest combined scoring margin between two finalists in NCAA Tournament history.
That will put a premium on defending.
UConn might have an advantage there.
The Huskies are No. 4 in KenPom.com’s defensive efficiency ratings and they locked down late in the game to knock high-scoring Alabama out of the Final Four.